


Something Different

by amythista



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: (spoiler alert it's Nick), Banter, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Jealousy, Judy is oblivious, Judy realizes what she wants, Kissing, Nick is a good friend, Racism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-05
Updated: 2017-11-05
Packaged: 2019-01-29 16:42:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12635019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amythista/pseuds/amythista
Summary: Judy is reunited with an old unrequited crush from high school, and Nick, despite his best efforts, does not deal with it well.





	Something Different

Judy Hopps was the definition of a morning mammal. She routinely woke every day at 5:30 AM for a quick jog around the nearby park before showering, grooming, and dressing, leaving her apartment at promptly 7:00 AM to catch a subway bound for downtown. She would pick up coffee and breakfast for both herself and her partner, who was decidedly less of a morning mammal, on the way to the precinct, arriving sometime around 7:45. Nick Wilde would shuffle in sometime around 8, mumble a thanks as she handed him his coffee, and begin to perk up around 8:15 as the caffeine entered his system, leaving an extra 15 minutes each day for the two to chat, joke, and/or banter before their shift started at 8:30.

This morning was no different. Judy, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as usual, hummed to herself as she bounced slightly in the subway seat to the rhythm of the song currently playing through her earbuds. It was a band that Nick introduced her to after she listened to the Top 40 station one too many times, at which point he had plugged his phone into the aux cord and informed Judy that she needed to “listen to something non-mind numbing for _once_ , for my sake, Carrots.” She had pouted, but to her dismay actually enjoyed his selection. His reaction to her reluctant admission of approval had been incredibly smug and irritating, but he at least made her a mixtape to listen to on her own time.

Just before she got to the part where she liked to mimic the soothing guitar solo, the music was abruptly cut off by the sound of airhorns. After a moment, she realized it was her ringtone. Nick had recently taken up the habit of finding new annoying ringtones and setting them on her phone when she wasn’t looking. Resolving to get back at him later, she pressed the green ‘accept’ button without looking at who it was. “Hello?”

“Good morning, honey!” Her mother’s voice chirped back at her. 

“Mom!” Judy grinned, but her face quickly creased with worry. “Why are you calling so early? Did something happen? Do you need me back home?”

“No, no, nothing happened,” Bonnie said soothingly. “I’m just calling because you didn’t answer the phone last night, and I have something I need to tell you.”

Inwardly, Judy winced. She and Nick had been up late playing video games, and by the time she finally got home she had passed out immediately from exhaustion. “Sorry. What is it?”

“Well…” she paused. “Do you remember Joseph?”

“You’re going to have to be more specific, Mom,” Judy joked. “There’s only about a hundred Josephs in Bunnyburrow, including one of your sons.”

“You know, that nice buck you liked in high school?”

Judy froze. “Wait- you mean _Joseph Cotton_?!”

“That’s the one!” Her mother said excitedly. “He’s in the city for a week and he called me to see if he could look you up! So of course I told him yes and made you reservations at-”

“Wait, wait,” said Judy, her mind desperately scrambling to catch up. “Joseph Cotton wants to see me? He asked for me?”

“Yes! Now I know you haven’t seen each other since high school, but he seemed very nice over the phone and I think it would be good for you to get out for once. You haven’t seen anyone since you moved to Zootopia.”

“Mom,” Judy frowned. “You can’t just set up dinner for me like that. I’m an adult and I have my own life. What if I had plans?”

“But you don’t, sweetie,” Bonnie pointed out, not incorrectly. “You haven’t seen anyone since before you attended the Academy. All you do is work, and I know you love your work, but some balance would be good for you.”

Judy let out a long sigh. Her mother was right. She spent most of her time at the precinct, and on the evenings that she wasn’t working late she was usually at home or with Nick. Occasionally she went out with other officers on the weekends, but she hadn’t spent one-on-one time with a rabbit, let alone a _male_ rabbit, in years. To be fair, she wasn’t really interested in being set up with one, but it would be nice to see someone from high school. Catch up on the going-ons back home. 

And, well...it was Joseph Cotton.

“Okay,” Judy allowed. “But ask me next time, okay Mom?”

“Of course, bun-bun,” Bonnie said happily. “I’ll text you later with your reservation information. Wear something nice! Have a good day, sweetie, I love you.”

“Love you too,” Judy smiled and ended the call before exhaling loudly and letting her head fall back with a thump against the seat.

_What did I just get myself into?_

Luckily, she didn’t have to think about it for too long, as the subway doors opened with a cheerful noise to signal that she had arrived downtown. She made her way out the doors and through the morning crowd, deftly weaving through the legs of larger mammals. Early in her time in Zootopia, this part of her day had been mildly terrifying, but now she was able to avoid being crushed with almost mindless ease. It was just one of the many things that had changed about her since her arrival in Zootopia a year and some change ago. Her view of the world had changed dramatically, and while most would probably attribute it to the way a small-town girl adjusts to city life, Judy mostly attributed it to Nick.

Nick. Judy smiled a little at the thought of her partner and best friend as she waited patiently in line at Snarlbucks. While everyone had known from the start he’d be placed in Precinct One, he’d still passed the Academy with flying colors. Many people had expressed doubt that a bunny and fox partnership would be anything but disastrous, but she and Nick were doing just fine. They had developed an easy dynamic during their first few days working together and it remained unscathed – they just pretty much spent all their time together now. They solved crimes and made the perfect predator-and-prey-working-together success story for the public, but they also watched dumb movies and explored the city together. A solid working relationship and a solid friendship. It was truly the best of both worlds, and Judy couldn’t have been happier. 

“Morning, Clawhauser!” Judy called cheerfully as she bounced into the precinct, balancing her and Nick’s coffees along with a pastry she had ordered for her breakfast. The cheetah gave her a wide smile, swallowing his donut before engaging her in excited discussion about a movie he had just seen. Twelve minutes later, Nick stumbled into the office.

“Morning, Nick!” Judy chirped and handed him his coffee. He mumbled something that was probably appreciative, and took a few sips before remembering to remove his aviators. He blinked blearily at his coffee, and Judy had to stifle a laugh at how helpless he looked. He was so cute in the mornings.

 _Wait. Cute?_ Did she really just call Nick _cute_?! No, no, this was Nick. Slick, annoying Nick, who teased her, messed with her, and had eaten her entire stash of blueberries last week. Judy banished the thought to the back of her head and returned her attention to her partner, who was now staring at her absentmindedly. She plastered on a grin. “What’s up?”

Nick shook his head and took another sip of his coffee. “Looked upset,” he mumbled.

“Your first words of the day!” Judy avoided the subject cheerfully. She patted him on the back, perhaps a little more roughly than necessary. “You’re even more tired than usual this morning. Long night?”

Nick spluttered and began coughing. Now concerned, Judy thumped his back with more vigor. “You okay, Nick?”

“‘M fine,” he rasped, before clearing his throat and trying again. “I’m fine. Just had some trouble sleeping last night.”

For some reason, Clawhauser snickered. Judy missed the glare Nick sent his way.

* * *

The rest of the day passed as usual. Nick downed his coffee and slowly came back online after having another cup from the breakroom. They patrolled, had lunch, bantered, patrolled some more, discussed the probable existence of aliens, and headed back to the precinct to finish up some paperwork before clocking out for the day.

“I’m telling you, Carrots, aliens are _here_ ,” Nick informed her, uncharacteristically enthusiastic, as they strolled into their shared cubicle. “There’s an abundance of evidence, you just gotta know where to look.”

“Yeah, like sketchy websites that advertise _‘hot mammals in your area now!_ ’” Judy snickered, hopping onto her chair. The seats the ZPD provided were obviously made for larger mammals, but neither she nor Nick had ever bothered to complain. She had gotten quite good at the jump.

Nick gave her a smirk as he- albeit less gracefully than Judy- got into his own chair. “Alright, rabbit. Next movie night, we’re watching alien conspiracy videos until you’re shaking in your little bunny boots.”

“You’re on,” she responded, a small smile playing on the corners of her mouth even as she tried to eye him as if he was challenging her. He grinned back, and for some reason her heart fluttered a little in her chest. To combat the feeling, she began to arrange her paperwork neatly on her desk. 

“So, Carrots,” Nick drawled, leaning dangerously far back in his chair as he was wont to do, ignoring the playful glare she sent his way. “Fifty Shades of Prey is playing in a theatre downtown tonight. I figured I might renounce my good taste for an evening so that you can experience how truly terrible that movie is.”

Judy grinned and opened her mouth to give a teasing retort, but then remembered her plans for the evening. Her smile faded. “Oh Nick, I can’t.”

He glanced at her, eyes slightly widened in surprise, before returning his gaze to the pile of paperwork on his desk, the only hint of his disappointment in a single flick of his ear. Judy didn’t know how many people were close enough to Nick to know his tells, but she was grateful to be one of them. “Got a hot date?”

“I wouldn’t call it a hot date,” Judy sighed, falling back in her chair and staring up at the ceiling. “But my mom set up dinner plans for me with a guy I knew in high school.”

When she didn’t hear a snarky comeback in response, she turned her head to Nick, who was staring at her with his mouth slightly agape. 

“You have a _date_?”

“You don’t need to sound so surprised,” Judy huffed in annoyance, turning back to filling out her report.

“I’m not surprised, Carrots, I just…” Nick scrubbed a hand over his face, ruffling the fur. “I guess I didn’t think you were really interested in dating. It’s not like you’ve ever mentioned anybody.”

“I’m not.” Judy paused. “Well, I’m not... _not_ , but I haven’t really been thinking about it. Anyway, it’s just dinner with an old friend. It’s not exactly a date.”

Nick hummed noncommittally, his tail swishing slightly. “Who’s the guy? Some hick carrot farmer?”

“Joseph Cotton.” She smiled a little, ignoring the jab. “No, he’s not a carrot farmer. Last I heard he wanted to be a lawyer.”

“Hm.”

“Actually, “ Judy said thoughtfully, chewing on the end of her pen, “I’m pretty sure that’s why I had a crush on him in high school.”

There was a bang. Nick had lost his balance and fallen backwards off his chair. 

“Nick!” Judy jumped off her chair and rushed over to the fox. “Are you okay? I told you that would happen if you kept leaning so far back!”

“I’m fine,” he groaned, waving her off as he stood and righted his chair. “So what happened with this Jared guy?”

“Joseph,” she corrected automatically, brows furrowing at him. “Are you sure you’re okay? It sounded like you hit something pretty hard.”

“Carrots, if I survived a 50-foot drop in the Rainforest District with only a bunny for a parachute, I’ll manage to survive this.” With that, he scrambled back onto his chair and gave her a pointed look. “So, Jacob. Is he not into bunnies or something?”

“What?” Judy frowned at him, confused by his deflection. “No, I don’t think so. He had a lot of bunny girlfriends in high school, anyway. Why?”

Nick made a vague waving motion with his hand. “You liked him, right? What was his problem?”

Judy sighed and hopped back onto her chair. “His _problem_ was that I was the weird bunny who wanted to move to the city and become a cop, when everyone else my age was trying to find a mate and start a family. Do you know how many bunnies go to college?” She scowled. “25%. And most of them are city rabbits. A quarter of my class was married by graduation, and while everyone else was enjoying their last days of youth I was studying my butt off, and no one could understand why.” 

When Nick didn’t respond, she turned to face her partner. Nick was staring at her, his brow creased a little in worry. She smiled at him reassuringly before picking up her pen again to resume her work.

“No one back home likes waiting around too long, and boys in general had given up on me somewhere around junior year. It wasn’t really a surprise. Besides, he was really popular. Honestly, I can’t believe he’s not married with a couple litters by now.”

Nick made a strange noise deep in his throat. Judy whipped her head around to stare at him. “Nick, did you just _growl_?”

“No, no,” he said distantly. “Had something stuck in my throat. Go on.”

Judy let one ear fall halfway as she looked at him curiously. “Anyway, it’ll be nice to see him again. I’m surprised he even agreed to see me, I thought my reputation back home was tarnished beyond belief. No country bunny would take a city cop for a mate.”

She hadn’t meant it in a self-deprecating way, but she found that the smile on her face was just a little bit rueful. The injury was old and no longer stung, but it seemed to ache just a bit.

“Hopps,” and the seriousness of his tone made her meet his gaze. There was an uncharacteristic intensity in his green eyes. “Anyone, bunny or no, would be out of their mind to not want to go out with you.”

Judy was baffled for a moment, then beamed. “Thank you, Nick.”

He let his face relax into his signature smirk, then turned back to his desk. Judy followed suit, and soon the room was filled only by the sound of pen on paper.

“Where you guys going?” Nick casually asked after a while.

“Well, my mom said-” Judy paused and glared at him. “Nick, you’re not planning on spying on us, are you? Because I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself, you know.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Fluff. I have better things to do with my evening than watch a pair of rabbits make goo-goo eyes at each other. Just wanted to make sure you weren’t taking him anywhere that would give him a stomachache. Doubt he’s ever tasted anything other than carrots before.”

Judy watched him as he signed off on something, his pen leaving the paper with a flourish, before letting her face relax into a fond smile. “Jeez, Slick. I never expected you to be so overprotective. You’re acting like one of my older brothers or something.”

Nick scoffed as Judy laughed and hopped off of her chair with a stack of papers clutched to her chest. “I’m going to drop this off at Chief Bogo’s office and then head out. You ready?” 

She beamed up at him, and Nick gave her a carefully constructed smirk back. “You go ahead, Carrots. The longer I take on this paperwork the more annoyed the Chief’s going to be.”

She giggled and reached up to pat his knee. “Don’t be too hard on him. See you Monday!” She gave him a cheerful wave and bounded off, humming something that sounded suspiciously like Gazelle’s latest hit. 

As Nick watched her go, he let his fake smirk fall in favor of leaning back in his chair and staring at the ceiling instead. He chuckled sullenly. “Yeah, like a brother. Or something.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I first saw Zootopia back in March 2016, right when it came out. I've probably seen it three dozen times. I literally have the movie memorized. There is no excuse for this being my first fanfic for this fandom, but here we are. I'm super excited and I hope you are too!


End file.
